Immigration

Here's an email that's been circulating:

A lady wrote the best letter in the Editorials in ages! It explains things better than all the baloney you hear on TV.

"Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely. Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave. But I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors; I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan, educate my kids, and provide other benefits to me and to my family (my husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest, except for that breaking-in part). If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be there.

It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for ... well, you know.

And what a deal it is for me!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being an anti-housebreaker. Oh yeah, I want you to learn my language so you can communicate with me.

Why can't people see how ridiculous this is?! Only in America... if you agree, pass it on (in English). Share it if you see the value of it as a good smile. If not blow it off along with your future Social Security funds, and a lot of other things.

Here's a different perspective:

I'm glad that when my great-great-great grandparents came to this country from Germany, they were accepted into a place where they didn't have jobs, didn't speak the language, didn't know the laws and customs, hadn't contributed any taxes, hadn't contributed anything to any social programs. I'm glad their kids were allowed to attend the schools that they hadn't helped pay for.

Actually, I don't know if this is true for our family at all. They might have been wealthy and privileged. They might have gone to private schools. They might have already had high-paying jobs. They might have already spoken English. I don't know.

But I'll bet that lots of Americans have ancestors who spent a few generations getting to know English, living in poverty, doing the crappy jobs that were available at the time. If they had jobs, they were likely being taken advantage of in the form of low wages, no benefits and horrible work conditions.

Currently, there are two basic ways an immigrant can be admitted legally -- having an immediate family member who is a US citizen, or having a job with a US company. Otherwise, they have to enter the "greencard lottery". (This is a simplification, of course.) The tens of thousands of Germans, Dutch and Brits that came here in the 1700s and 1800s didn't need to meet these requirements. Neither did the millions of Germans, Irish and Italians that flocked here in the 1900s.

Should we really hold it against immigrants that they are breaking a law to try to make a better life for their families? By the way, the founders of our country were hard-working and honest (except for that whole sedition thing). Unlike the founders, current immigrants are not trying to grab a bunch of land and create their own independent nation. They are just trying to live and work within ours.

I don't think immigration should be totally unregulated. Far from it. But not allowing immigrants to come here legally while at the same time allowing businesses to get rich off immigrant labor is hypocritical. Companies get cheap labor and they don't have to pay benefits. Immigrants do all the work to make the farms and factories profitable, but have no rights and barely make enough to survive.

Instead of complaining about the people who are trying to make a better life for their families, let's do something about the real problem: 1) Force companies to hire only legal immigrants and to provide the same wages and benefits they would to any citizen. (This is already the law, but it is largely unenforced.) This would reduce the flow of illegal immigration if the immigrants know that they will not be able to find work.
2) Allow more immigrants to be legal. Allow the ones who are already here to come forward and get in line to become citizens. This will allow more immigrants to get legal jobs and become productive members of society.
3) Force immigrants to pay taxes just like citizens. This will reduce the burden on the social systems that support the working poor.
4) Provide incentives for immigrants to come here legally. This means making citizenship a reasonable goal for somebody that follows the rules and contributes to society, and deporting those that don’t.

More legal immigrants means more people paying taxes. More enforcement of labor laws means more people getting a reasonable wage and health benefits. More people with reasonable wages means less crime. (Studies debate how crime and poverty are linked, but I believe they are.) More people with benefits means fewer people relying on costly ER visits for their lone source of health care.

I believe this is still the land of opportunity, and we should provide the chance to succeed to as many people as possible.

BTW – The “Let's say I break into your house” scenario that the writer describes is pretty ridiculous. It might be more realistic to say “Let’s say you tell me that if I break into your house you’ll pay me to wash the dishes and do the laundry.”